Tennis Titans, Tennis Tots Joseph de la Nougerede Tennis Titans, Tennis Tots Joseph de la Nougerede

Sweet Spot

‍ ‍🎯 Sweet Spot – Aiming for the Middle

Objective:
To help children develop hand-eye coordination, balance, and racket awareness by focusing on hitting or catching in the sweet spot — the centre of the racket. 

👨‍🏫 Coach Introduction

Sit the children down and introduce the concept of the sweet spot.
🗣️ “This is the middle of the racket — the place where the ball or beanbag feels best when it hits. If you miss the sweet spot, it feels wobbly or bouncy. So today we are going to practise using just the middle.”

🔄 Activity Breakdown

1️⃣ Flip the Pancake

  • Each child has a racket and a beanbag.

  • Stand in a wide stance (feet apart), knees slightly bent.

  • “Sizzle” the pancake (shake it gently), then flip it into the air and catch it — repeat 10x.

  • Focus: catch in the sweet spot, keep the racket still and balanced.

2️⃣ Catch the Pancake – Parent Involvement

  • Parents throw beanbags softly toward their child’s racket.

  • Kids try to catch them using their sweet spot (not hands).

  • Encourage wide stance and readiness.

  • Coach walks around helping with stance and control.

3️⃣ Balloon Control

  • Move to balloons (ideal indoors).

  • Keep balloon in the air using the racket only.

  • Try to keep it up for as long as possible using the middle of the racket.

  • Coach Tip: Use commands like “Ready!” or “Freeze!” to regain focus mid-activity.

4️⃣ Sweet Spot Challenges

  • Parents throw cones like frisbees (flat traffic cones).

  • Kids must track them and catch them on the racket.

  • Adds variation in movement and tracking for kids.

  • Try left and right throws for lateral footwork.

🪶 Feathers (Simplifications)

  • Use catching nets instead of rackets

  • Use scarfs instead of bean bags (to really slow down)

  • Let children use two hands to hold the racket for better control.

  • Parents stand closer and throw slower.

⚡ Progressions (Extensions)

  • Use smaller beanbags or foam balls for advanced groups.

  • Encourage gentle rallying with parents (hit balloon or ball back and forth, staying in sweet spot).

  • Try alternating forehand and backhand catches.

  • Introduce scoring: “Can you catch 3 in a row in the sweet spot?” ‍ ‍

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